Heart attack most frequent cause of ‘line of duty’ death for firefighters

On Saturday in New York City, a tragedy shook a Brooklyn firehouse: Lt. Gordon Matthew Ambelas died as a result of smoke inhalation and third-degree burns on his head sustained while looking for trapped residents in the 19th floor of a building.

He was the city’s first firefighter in over two years to die in the line of duty.

But Ambelas was the 12th New York State firefighter to have died in the line of duty since the beginning of 2013, according to data provided by the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

Based on news reports and information from the U.S. Fire Administration, only one officer — Owego Fire Capt. Matthew Porcari— died fighting a blaze. Two others died in auto accidents. Eight firefighters have died of heart attacks since the beginning of 2013, according to news reports and fire department officials across the state.

Jerry DeLuca, executive director and CEO of the state Association of Fire Chiefs, explained that “line of duty deaths” don’t always occur during a fire, but can be a result of activity before and after an emergency. DeLuca says that if a deceased firefighter qualifies for death benefits under workers compensation, then they can be included in the state Fallen Firefighters Memorial, on the Empire State Plaza just north of The Egg.

In one such incident from March, Peekskill firefighter Kevin Bristol and others responded to an oven fire. At the scene, according to news reports, Bristol said he didn’t feel well and went home. That’s where his wife found him in cardiac arrest and rushed him to Hudson Valley Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead.

While cardiac problems can be the result of a range of health factors, including everything from heredity to tobacco use, doctors include obesity on the list of primary contributors.

In a 2011 report prepared for the National Volunteer Fire Council, researchers found that between 73 percent and 88 percent of firefighters are either overweight or obese — terms that fluctuate somewhat depending on the study. The nonprofit National Fire Protection Association creates consensus standards, and some career departments like the FDNY might have mandated physicals but it’s harder with volunteer departments, because of economic considerations.

“Our statewide association strongly advocates for firefighter health and safety, but these are decisions made locally,” said Rob Leonard, the spokesman for the state Firemen’s Association and a Syosset volunteer fireman.

This 2011 Fire Council report also notes that a large study funded by FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program discovered that over 90 percent of obese career and volunteer firefighters failed to meet even minimal standards of fitness.

Albany Fire Chief Warren W. Abriel Jr. said that in the mid-1990s, the Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau required fire departments in New York State to do physicals. Now firefighters in their 20s and 30s have a comprehensive physical every three years. Local firefighters in their 40s have them every two years and officers in their 50s have them every year.

Lt. Robert Cook climbs aboard the Albany Fire Department’s Rescue Squad to head out of the firehouse on training on Thanksgiving Day November 26, 2009. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union)

Nationally, 29 firefighters died of sudden cardiac arrests in 2013, according to theNational Fire Protection Association. This is second-lowest number since the organization started tracking fatalities. From 1977 through 1986, an annual average of 60 firefighters suffered sudden cardiac deaths while on duty (44.7 percent of the on-duty deaths during that period).

Abriel, a 42-year veteran, said attitudes toward personal health among firefighters have evolved.

“When I came up, we had roast beef for lunch and ham for dinner,” he said. “A lot of our firefighters today are into salads, and conscious of more healthy stuff.”

Benjamin Oreskes

6 Responses

Thank you and God Bless to all paid and volunteer firefighthers for your service, but the point of this piece is what? Police and Fireman aren’t even in the top 10 most dangerous occupations. The guy who picks up your garbage, fixes your roof, mines your coal or steel, or grows your food is more likely to die on the job. And they don’t get to retire after 20 years at more than their base salary plus free healthcare for life. Give me a break you lap dog media guys

I served as a volunteer for 5 years and noticed this same fact. Thanks for printing this! I also noticed that at least 2/3rds of the firefighters in my department were heavy cigarette smokers. A smoking habit combined with sudden bursts of extreme physical and mental strain is a recipe for cardiac arrest, even if you aren’t obese. Remember all that tobacco settlement money the state got back in the 90’s? A real shame it was not used to fund smoking cessation for career and volunteer firefighters – it could have saved the lives of some of our best citizens.

It is heartbreaking this gentleman has died in the line of duty. Unfortunately this piece takes away from this tragedy and instead focuses on the firefighters that died to do non-work related reasons. A separate article should have been done. I do thank all firefighters and first responders for their dedication and service. Maybe funds from towns with volunteers could fund the physicals. I think police should also have to have required physicals as well. It is for the safety of all to be in good health to do your job to the fullest. And for those individuals that do not pass the physical to have some support to get healthy.

Many local volunteer departments require comprehensive physicals annually for their members regardless of their age. I have seen numerous volunteer firefighters fail those exams and either stop serving or fix their health problems.

As to the overweight statistic, I really would like to see what the stats are that are used to come up with that classification.

I would be considered overweight, yet I wear size 36 pants, run five miles a morning, and partake in a weight lifting routine. Do I have some fat to lose? you bet! But I bet I am more physically fit that most in society.

The reality is I have seen some of the fittest members of the company wind up being treated for high blood pressure, overexertion, etc. It has more to do with the extreme nature of the task at hand – heat, labor, etc – than it does with being overweight.

I was a volunteer firefighter decades ago … and none of this is new. Some departments offer free gym memberships … but you can’t make the members use them regularly. Based on my past experience, the stats on smoking and obesity among my brother firefighters ring very true and the national stats have only gotten worse in the past 20 years.

Yes firefighters are more likely to die of heart attacks but the general public typically has no idea of how many lime of duty deaths that happen just because of the nature of the job (2 so far within a week). The fact is firefighters have about 80 lbs of gear, not including tools and their gear insulates and body temperatures frequently rise to as high as 104 degrees and thn they do extremely strenuous activities. In NYS all career fighters have to pass an extremely difficult physical agility test known as the CPAT. Most departments have adopted health and wellness initiatives. Regardless, the nature of the job makes it dangerous. That’d just the way it is. Someone mentioned the 20 year retirement. It is actually 25 years now and in order to max out retirements, they need to stay longer. Have you thought about why firefighters have that retirement program? They are much more likely to get cancer, sarcoidosis and other diseases. Life expectancy is much shorter for firefighters than the general public. Not to mention the emotional strain. Until you have pulled a dead body out of a fire or done CPR on a 6 month old you wouldn’t understand. How about getting stuck with a needle or getting vomit in your face by a patient with MRSA?